Method and apparatus for molding plastics



y 1949- H. M. RICHARDSON 9,

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MOLDING PLASTICS Filed Aug. 24, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 3, 1949.

H. M. RKZHARDSON METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MOLDING PLASTICS Filed Aug. 24, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 3, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MOLDING PLASTICS to Lima-Hamilton Corporation,

Hamilton,

Ohio, a corporation of Virginia Application August 24, 1945, Serial No. 612,405

Claims. 1

This invention relates to molding plastics and is intended primarily for molding thermoplastics. More particularly, it relates to preparing successive charges of plastics and forcing those charges into molds to form the desired articles.

It has for an object to mold thermoplastics at a minimum forming temperature in order to require the least possible cooling to set condition, and to thereby minimize the molding time and the shrinkage resulting from cooling.

Another object is to provide mold charges of approximately uniform temperature and composition throughout and minimize differential shrinkage upon molding.

Another object is to provide a method and apparatus whereby articles of comparatively large size may be formed quickly and with a maximum of uniformity.

Another object is to contiuously heat and extrude plastic material while intermittently transferring and pressing into molds successive charges of as large size as desired.

Another object is to start with ingredients for forming a thermoplastic material, continuously mix and heat the ingredients into a plastic material, and form the material into articles without allowing it to set betwen mixing and molding.

Other objects of the invention and minor features will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of apparatus suitable for carrying out the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of the discharge end of the extruder.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of transfer apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a view of the cut-off and transfer mechanism, approximately 0n the line 44 of Fig. 3.

In the form of apparatus indicated in the drawings, there is a hopper I0 for receiving the materials to be treated. These materials are forced through a channel I I by means of a screw I2 driven by shaft I2. Beyond the screw there is indicated a stack of breaker plates I3 (see Fig. 2) which consists of a series of breaker plates which preferably have holes therethrough of different sizes. Each plate may have large holes and small holes alternating both circumferentially and radially. The small holes are in line with large holes in the adjacent plate whereby the total cross-section of the holes in successive plates is approximately the same, but the flow through successive large and small holes is such as to produce a thorough mixing of the material as it passes therethrough. Beyond the stack of breaker plates, there is another breaker plate III which supports a screen pack I3 through Which the plasticated material must be forced. The nozzle I5 through which the material passes after being forced through the breaker plate is preferably restricted somewhat at the opening I6. The total cross-section of the exit opening I6 need not be smaller than the total cross-section of the openings through the last breaker plate I4.

Beyond the openings I6, the material forms a column I'i. As will be more fully explained later, the apparatus is intended to operate so that the material as it is discharged Will be stifily plastic and will maintain columnar form. That is, it will be substantially self-sustaining, or shape-retaining when at rest or during careful handling, while still readily deformable under pressure.

There is provided a cut-off device for severing the column into lengths, slugs or charges after a sufficient amount has been extruded. The particular form of the cut-01f device may be varied greatly, but for purposes of illustration there is shown a cutting wheel provided with a series of blades I8. The cutter is driven by a ratchet wheel I9 engaged by a pawl 20, which is operated by a cylinder 2i controlled by a valve 22. The valve is operated by a limit switch 23 which placed in the path of the column and may be adjusted to operate when the desired length of column has been extruded.

After the slug or mold charge has been cut off from the end of the extruded column, it is transferred to an injection molding device. This transfer may take place in various ways, but a very simple way is indicated in the drawings where a chute 24 is provided down which the slug or mold charge may roll. The chute will be kept at the proper temperature to have the desired effect upon the exterior of the mold charge or slug. If desired, nozzles 25 may be provided for directing gases against the surface of the slug after it is extruded. Ordinarily these gases will be somewhat cooler than the temperature of the extruded plastic, but above atmopspheric temperature.

The injection molding apparatus in the form shown in the drawings comprises a two-part mold which is shown as being divided upon a vertical line 26. On the right of this dividing line there is a mold half 21 mounted upon the piston rod 28 attached to a piston 29 in a cylinder 3!] controlled by a valve 3|. The other half 32 of the mold normally. abuts the end of the injecis provided in the upper side ofthe rear end;. of the injection cylinder so that the slug or mold charge may roll down the chute and enter the cylinder at this point.

Where desired, different nozzles -'l 5' may be .proe vided with openings l6 of different sizes;v and these may be selected to produce-a slug or-mold illustrated, it is presumed that the mold part 32 and sleeve 35 have the minimum sized opening therein, and if a larger: diameter of opening should' beemployed," rings =may-b'e attachedto theend--41 of plunger 365- The'operation of .th'eapparatus may be readily" understood from the-foregoing description, but

for convenience will be-summarized as follows:

Th'e'material which is -t0--be molded is introduced in powdered-orgranular form into the hopper- Ill and 1s masticated" and plasticated by the extruding apparatus: The channel- H is preferablykept at a cont'rolledtemperature by- In the drawings there areany suitable means. indicated pipes -43 for supplying suitable temperature 'controlling'fluid' to the jacket around channel I I; The'mechanical-force employed in mix= ing-and masticating thematerial imparts heat thereto and'this may be-approximately equal to, or more-orless than; the heatrequired to raise the-temperature of themateriallsufiicient-ly to make 'it'plastic. 43" will adjust" the temperature in any case so that; as the materialis extruded, it "will be substantially-uniformlyof'a temperature such as. to

tion to remain in a. column 'or-Lslug 'that'will substanti'ally maintain its shape andsize but still is sufficiently plastic to iblfshaped under pressure to the shape of the mold'c'avity'.

It is preferable .to extrude the material continuously, as this results. in. the maximum uni- The heat control through pipes charge slightly smaller in diameter than the opening 3 3 in mold 32 and s1eeve 35.=. Incthe form,

formityof temperature andplastication. Since a I slug of relatively large cross-section is .desired' the opening, I6 islarge. It..may beinecessary. to obstruct outlet lstemporarily to allow the plastic. material issuingfrom breaker. plate I 4 -.to consult datein a column .filling, opening [6,. butonce... started. thecolumncontinues, solid even with. opening! 6..larger.-.in. cross-section than.- the total" of. the holes inthe breakerwplatel Any material whichmay besmixed-and heated tosuch astifl'ly plastic condition maybe em ployed. The process andvapparatus are intendedprimarily for thermoplastic materials,- but might be. used 'under' certainconditionsfor thermosetting; plastics also. If. employed 1 :for thermosetting plastics, the type :0f2' plastic employed: should preferably have a softeningzpoint' well below the temperature-at: whichzit will set quickly,

in order'to avoiddangerzoisetting ofthe material.

before it :is. forced into the moldtl With'such'material; the injection: cylinder: and/or mold may be.-

providedwith suitable heating:means for raising. the: temperature of' the. material to setting point. The most: commonly. employed process. for

molding :zthermo splasticz.-;material iat the:.present 2 time is to prepare the material in granular form and feed it to the entrance end of an injection cylinder through which it is driven by a reciproeating: plungem. The material:v is heated and plastic atediasit'passes through thescylinder. The material at the entrance end of the cylinder is cool, and is kept in solid form so that it will not stick to the plunger or to the walls of the cylinder Wh'erethe*plunger'reciprocates therein. The material, being heated during its passage through the .-injection?cylinder;;,is of increasing tempera ture." as it approaches the discharge nozzle througlrwhichiit passes into the mold. In order to have sufficienttmaterial sufiiciently plastic to conform-lindenpressure to the mold cavity and fill 'it; the-materialat the nozzle is quite fluid, and in-order-toavoididribbling, the nozzle opening is small in cross-section. When the material is dis'charged into the mold, the last of the material to enter the mold has not been in contact withiheh-eated:wallsbi? lthe injecti'on cyli'nd'er as longzias :thatimaterial which first enters-the m'old'" andiconsequentlygfthere is \a'seri'ous diirrence in thertemperaturelotlcliifrent portions of themaen'terrthe im'old ii's: hotten-thanvis necessary= for terial: fenteringithamoldg and th'e-materi'alfirstto' shaping; The. .friction offitheesolid material" at theientrance end oi th injection cylinder; and":

theforoe required for mixing and plasticatingthe rmaterial as it1passes tlirough the cylinder, re-

It will be noted that the apparatusshownis arranged tohave the end 'of-"the slug 'whi'ch-wa's extruded first: contact the" injection plunger; while-the-end extruded last-enters themold first.-

This is ordinarily preferable, since the slug usually cools after extrusion so that any difference inthe temperature of the two 'ends'favorsthe contact of the plunger with the cool end'to which-it is-less-'- likely to stick. Tli'e' coolihgof the surface of theslugforms azzsuriace skin that helps to avoid sticking;

stage than in a solid staga For-this reason-temperature' differences between different portions- Of :me -"plastic" -=material- 'inj acted" into a mold result in difirent shrinkages-of the different parts,

apt to "resultmourning the outer*-part'-of* the" article more rapidly than the inner part "and;

after the outer: surface 'of' tlie-articlehas set, the

Ordinary types-of= thermoplastic material have a considerable coefii'cient 'of heat expansion, and j their expansion is-greatew when in" he pl continued coolirig and shrinkage ofthinnerportion may re'sult' in=dimples or" other imperfections In 1 the process described the slug of prepared plastic' is at atemperature' where it will-sub-- stantially maintain its shape againstgravity and The :slug; is: preferably pf Slig-htI-y less diameter than the opening in sleeve w' so that it will slide the lower side.

-readily:-'in'to* the -opening through mold 32) with "no firesistance excepv 'tlie =s1ight friction -on'* In :tlie=apparatus shownfithe =s1iigfis circular in cross s ectfon and tlie injection cylinder and mold --opening are-similarly shapedj and rolling tlieslug down the chute helps maintain this shape. If desired for certain articles, or for other reasons, other shapes might be used. In such cases, the transfer means should be calculated to maintain the desired shape, or if there is sagging during transfer, the shape of the discharge nozzle and injection cylinder should be so related that the slug will fit the cylinder after sagging.

The force applied by plunger 36 is required only to expand the end of the slug into the cavity of the mold and make it fit the mold completely. In this way the plastic may be at a nearly self-sustaining temperature against gravity when it enters the mold and still require much less pressure per square inch by the injection plunger than in the ordinary injection molding device. The material as it enters the mold is of substantially uniform temperature, and so avoids much differential shrinkage, and it requires relatively little cooling in order to become completely self-sustaining against gravity and, therefore, the necessary cooling can be quickly accomplished and the molding cycle shortened without an excessive heat gradient between the exterior and the interior of the molded article.

In the usual practice of injection molding of thermoplastic materials described above, the nature of the heating of the material is such as to limit the cross-section of the material extruded and to limit the size of the article molded. The improved method described above, whereby the material is plasticated in an extruding device and formed into a mold charge or slug which is substantially uniform in temperature throughout, makes possible the molding of articles of much greater size without difilculty.

The material introduced into hopper I0 may be homogeneous, or suitable ingredients may be fed into the hopper in proper proportion and may be thoroughly mixed during the heating and extruding operation. For example, a plasticizer or other ingredient may be added to modify the character of the extruded materials, or a suitable batch may be mixed and. plasticized and/ or plasticated in the extruding device.

For example, cellulose acetate, dimethyl phthalate and diethyl phthalate have been introduced into the hopper in proportions of 14, 3 and 3, respectively, and mixed, heated, and extruded from apparatus like that shown, in a substantially self-sustaining column, cut off into successive mold charges and transferred and injected into molds in the manner described.

The facility with which relatively large articles can be made by the improved method, and the relatively small amount of cooling necessary before the article is discharged from the mold make the possible output of one injection molding device unusually high, so that one molding device forms the material plasticated in an extruder of considerable capacity, especially where the articles are large. However, if desired, an extruder may be constructed to furnish more material than can be handled by one molding device, especially where small articles are formed, and in such a case two or more molding devices may be arranged to receive slugs or mold charges from an extruder, the devices being timed to permit continuous extrusion and to take care of the charges as they are extruded. For production of uniform plastic material and to avoid difficulties with the apparatus, it is highly advantageous to maintain continuous extrusion. One simple arrangement is to provide two molding devices side by side, one to the left and the other to the right of the extruder, and tilt a portion of the receiving chute directly beneath the cut-off charges first to one side and then the other, to feed the molding devices alternately, but other suitable arrangements could be made to feed the charges in succession to two or more molding devices.

From the foregoing disclosure, one skilled in the art will be enabled to use the invention, not only in the exact form disclosed, but also in modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. The method of molding material which can be rendered plastic by heat, which comprises heating the material to a plastic condition, extruding the heated material in a column, severing from the column a length containing sulficient material for a mold charge, transferring the charge to a position with one end presented to a mold inlet while maintaining the columnar form and plastic condition in which it was extruded, and forcing the material into the mold by pressure against the other end of the column while confining the column against spreading outside of the mold.

2. The method of molding material which can be rendered plastic by heat, which comprises heating the material to plastic condition, extruding the plastic material in a column, severing from the column a length containing enough material for a mold charge, transferring the severed charge to a position with its last-extruded end presented to a mold inlet while maintaining the columnar form and plastic condition in Which it was extruded, and forcing the charge into the mold by pressure against its first-extruded end while confining the column against spreading outside of the mold.

3. The method of molding material which can be rendered plastic by heat, which comprises heating the material to a plastic condition, extruding the material in a column while it is plastic under pressure but substantially shape-retaining against gravity, severing from the column a length containing enough material to form a mold charge, transferring the severed charge to a position with one end inserted in a mold inlet having substantially the same shape and size as the cross-section of the column, while maintaining the columnar form and the plastic condition in which it was extruded, then forcing the charge into the mold by pressure against its other end while confining it against spreading outside of the mold,

4. A method in accordance with claim 3 and comprising extruding the column in circular cross-section and rolling the charge laterally over a supporting surface during the transfer.

5. In combination a mixing and extruding device having a circular discharge nozzle, means to sever a predetermined length from the end of a column of material extruded from said nozzle, an injection press comprising means providing a cylindrical opening slightly larger in cross-section than the opening in said nozzle and as long as said predetermined length, a mold with circular inlet opening of the same diameter as said cylindrical opening, means to present the mold inlet in line with and against one end of the cylindrical opening, means providing a surface over which a severed charge can roll after severance to a position in line with said cylindrical opening, a plunger, and means to move the plunger to drive an alined charge into said cylindrical opening and through said opening and mold inlet into the mold, whereby a stiiily plastic column of extruded material may be severed in a mold charge and 

